Goodness
by sharingstories2
Summary: She couldn't hate his mistakes because she remembered he had good inside too.


Ashley knew Will had a criminal record, kind of, she knew that will moved to bel-air for a better life, a safer life. Of course at the age of nine all she was told was that her favourite cousin was living with them, never the reason he was moving. She was never privy to the fact that Will had been into fights, that he had fired a gun to save a friend. She never knew, not even when Will, himself was shot. She never knew until it was to late, until Will stood over the man that tried to hurt her, his fists covered in blood, the man on the floor disfigured.  
She remembered the man taking her, saying Will Smith was going to lose someone he loved like a sister, she remembered screaming and then nothing as she was shoved into the back of a truck. She remembered darkness and feeling like this was how she was going to die, alone and with a strange man. Then the truck stopped and she heard screaming, she heard someone asking how they were found. She remembered the van shaking before the door opened, letting in a blinding light and as she looked out she saw Will, her saving grace. Then she looked at his hands, as the red dripped from them, she tried to ask him what had happened but he gently took her from the van and placed her in his car, shielding her from the body that lay on the floor.  
She remembered the silence that followed as the man she viewed as a big brother took her home. She remembered her mum and dads joy when they saw her and then the look of concern when they saw Will. She remembered their pale faces as he said  
"They found me" and how philip tried to push Ashley out of the room and Will stopped him.  
"Listen uncle Phil, you're a judge you can't hear this, imma be gone by the morning, call the police amd tell them what happened... you... you took me in uncle phil when you shouldn't, you can't be liable for this." Then her cousin turned away and left his family in the dust.  
The next morning he was gone, police scowered their home looking for him but all that was left was a single A4 peice of paper that said  
"You can't choose your family but I'd choose you  
Xox"  
Ashleys mother held the note to her chest, crying.  
Ashley remembered the weeks after Will left, how her family fractured and how Wills past came to light, though it seemed her older siblings already knew. Ashley learnt of the real reason Will moved in with her family. How back in philly he had shot a man to save his friend, how this man was part of a gang who afterwards threatened Will. How they took will and beat him, how Will had to leave everything he had ever known because he chose to save his friend. Ashley knew she should be angry, he cousin had in affect nearly killed some one but she couldn't feel angry, she couldn't feel sad, she just felt hollow. She felt hollow because the man that had hurt someone was also the man that had chased away bad boyfriends, the man that had taught her how to play the drums and how to be a good person when all the options available are bad ones.  
She remembered his first day, how he wreaked havoc and destruction. She remembered the goodness that was inside of him. She remembered and for that reason she seemed at peace with it, even when ten years later he turned up at her wedding reception, a cap hiding his face and pulled her into a hug. She was at peace with it when he asked her how he treated her, when he kissed her cheek and said goodbye to her, promising to always look out for her and that if Eric tried to hurt her Will would put him six feet under. She was at peace with her cousins mistakes when after her honeymoon she found out he had handed himself to the police, confessing to all his crimes. When he was sentenced to five years because he had evidence to bring down the drug cartel.  
She was at peace when she sat across from Will fifteen years after he ran away as he was released from prison. She had accepted it when she pulled him into a hug and promised to name the baby that was currently growing in her tummy after him. He had smiled amd laughed and kissed her on the forehead and asked why would she do that. She laughed and told him because he was brave and she rembered how good he was.


End file.
